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Dr. Mary Jane Hetrick, a long-time trustee of Dripping Springs ISD, has been elected first vice president of the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) for the 2024-25 session. Hetrick was elected during TASB’s 2024 Delegate Assembly in San Antonio on Sept. 28.
“I’m honored to be asked to serve and grateful for the support and encouragement from trustees across the state,” Hetrick said. “This role offers a chance to lead TASB’s mission of promoting educational excellence for Texas schoolchildren.”
Hetrick is in her fourth term on the Dripping Springs ISD Board of Trustees and is currently serving her second year as vice president after two years as president. She is a 2017 Leadership TASB graduate and a Master Trustee.
She said her experience with DSISD will allow her to share insights from serving a fast-growth district and a 'Robin Hood' recapture district. “These lessons are crucial at the state level, as Texas continues to grow and rely on property taxes to fund school districts,” Hetrick said. “We are a community with a high cost of living, working to retain our teachers and staff. I’ve also learned the importance of uniting as a team focused on what’s best for students, regardless of election outcomes.”
Hetrick believes her state-level experience will benefit Dripping Springs ISD by providing ongoing education and keeping her updated on national and state developments that affect students, teachers, and staff.
“As an officer, I have direct access to trustees across the state and nation, allowing me to consult with fast-growth districts like ours about lessons learned and best practices that DSISD can consider,” she said.
Looking ahead, Hetrick expects school board leaders to face significant challenges in the 2025 state legislative session, especially regarding funding.
“State leaders boast about attracting business and industry to Texas, but with that come children who enter our school districts,” she said. “We must build schools and hire teachers to serve them while keeping up with inflation so that programs our communities value aren’t cut and teachers are encouraged to stay in the profession. TASB’s grassroots process allows local trustees to direct policy positions, and a key theme for the coming year will be ensuring public schools are properly funded.”
Dr. Hetrick holds a bachelor’s in business administration from The University of Texas-Pan American (now UT-Rio Grande Valley), a master’s in public administration and a certificate in nonprofit management from Auburn University at Montgomery, and a doctorate in public administration and public policy from Auburn University.
Her professional experience includes teaching as an adjunct professor at Auburn University at Montgomery, TROY University, and Austin Community College. In 2014, she founded a nonprofit consulting business. As an active leader in her community, Hetrick was honored as the Dripping Springs Chamber of Commerce Hometown Hero in 2020. She serves on the Dripping Springs Education Foundation board, as president of the Foster Village board, and as co-founder and vice president of Patriots’ Hall of Dripping Springs.
Hetrick recently announced she will step down as vice president of the board of Patriots’ Hall of Dripping Springs, where she was a founding member alongside Kathryn Chandler. The two, along with other board members, worked to bring the vision of Patriots’ Hall to life, providing a home for veterans and their families.
Patriots' Hall celebrated its ribboncutting last week and is now delivering programs to serve the local veteran community.
